What is sustainability in business?

Sustainability in business encourages organisations to operate with minimal negative impact on the environment by creating resilient environmental processes.

For businesses of today, a sustainability strategy can add brand value, meet consumer demands, attract valuable talent, and improve efficiency.

That’s why it is important for businesses now to implement strategies and processes to reduce environmental impact, minimise waste, conserve natural resources, and reduce emissions. Without sustainable practices in business, the health and well-being of the environment and future generations will be compromised.

From switching to LED lightbulbs to achieving net-zero emissions, there are a variety of sustainable practices that businesses can adopt to achieve environmental and social sustainability goals.

A sustainable business strategy is often not one size fits all. Sustainability investments are likely to be shaped by unique and specific challenges and opportunities presented by an organisation’s customers, shareholders, and supply chain.

That’s why every company should create a bespoke business strategy that incorporates economic, environmental, and social goals to benefit employees and the environment.

Most businesses are already taking steps to reduce their environmental impact and carbon footprint, at CHG-MERIDIAN, we are already helping businesses by integrating sustainable technology into their workplace. Want to learn more? Here are four ways your businesses can be more sustainable.

The easiest way for businesses to reduce plastic consumption and pollution is by finding green alternatives. This can include replacing single-use plastic packaging with paper bubble wrap, bioplastics, and reusable materials.

When looking to reduce plastic consumption in a business, it is important to consider all business activities. For example, single-use plastics brought into the office by employees and disposed of in the office wate contribute to the impact of the plastic footprint of a business.

To overcome this issue, businesses can install water stations, provide reusable cutlery, and water bottles, and educate employees about the impact of their plastic use.

Businesses can reduce their carbon footprint by reducing travel and considering eco-friendly alternatives. For any short journeys and where else possible organisations should consider walking, biking, or using public transport to get to meetings or events to make significant carbon reductions.

Another great way of making business travel more sustainable is by offering employee incentives such as the Cycle to Work scheme. Similarly, offering employees remote or hybrid work opportunities can also help to reduce carbon emissions.

Additionally, when arranging meetings businesses should first consider whether email, phone calls, video conferencing, or another substitute for travel may be sufficient.

Energy-efficient appliances can help businesses conserve energy and reduce their energy bills. From installing LED lightbulbs to upgrading heating and cooling systems, there are many ways businesses can reduce their overheads while lowering their energy consumption.

Old or outdated technology typically uses more energy and therefore is less efficient. Replacing any old appliances and equipment can significantly reduce energy consumption and improve the overall energy efficiency of a business. What’s more, modern technology is not only more sustainable, but modern hardware is also more efficient in terms of performance and productivity.

Adopting a circular business model showcases a business’s focus on reducing its environmental footprint by recovering and recycling the resources it uses to create its products. Essentially, a circular business model keeps products and materials in circulation for as long as possible.

By operating a circular business model, products are used, reused, and remanufactured, to help businesses eliminate waste and pollution.

At CHG-MERIDIAN, we are dedicated to enabling our customers to be at the forefront of their industry with the latest in technology. Our circular economy business model has been aiding businesses to operate more sustainably for over 40 years.

To accelerate your business operations with the latest IT innovations and keep on top of the latest technologies, get in touch with a member of the CHG-MERIDIAN team today.